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SALFORD VOTES FOR ELECTED MAYOR
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Star date: 27th January 2012
SALFORD MAYOR ELECTION IN MAY
Salford will have a mayoral election in May, after yesterday's referendum vote went in favour of an elected Mayor. Only 18.1% of the electorate bothered to vote, with 17,344 of those votes in favour of an elected Mayor, and 13,653 against, in what will be seen as a massive defeat for the ruling Labour Party in Salford which campaigned for a `No' vote.
More details here… |
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In an incredibly small turnout of only 18.1% of the electorate, Salford people have voted by a majority of 3,691 for an elected Mayor.
Last night, Barbara Spicer, Salford Council Chief Exec and Counting Officer for the referendum said… "The referendum needed to return a simple majority and the majority is in favour of the elected mayor. Now that this decision has been made we will start making plans for the mayoral elections in May."
The vote on who the Mayor will actually be will take place on May 3rd alongside local council elections, and candidates will start to emerge over the next few weeks.
The vote for an elected Mayor will be seen as a rejection of the policies of the ruling Labour Party in Salford which campaigned for a `No' vote. Judging by the comments on the Salford Star website (not very scientific), many people voted for an elected Mayor as a protest against the current Council's cuts to services for vulnerable people.
Meanwhile, those campaigning for a `Yes' vote seemed to be arguing for even bigger budget cuts (£66million, according to John Merry, Leader of Salford Council), which would please those in the richer suburbs of the city who would be more likely to get out and vote on the Mayor issue. Indeed, it would be interesting to see a ward by ward analysis of the votes.
The result to go with an elected Mayor will certainly throw the Labour Party, with its overall Council majority, into disarray. Many are now hoping that it reverses the massive cuts to public services it was going to present next month*, in order to remain credible amongst its traditional supporters in the community.
In the meantime, Salford must brace itself for a whole parade of cranks, self publicists, green ink brigadeers, racists, fascists, muppets and maybe a few monkeys who, no doubt, will put themselves forward to be Mayor…
• Psst – there's £708,000 in earmarked reserves for MediaCityUK they could use to help save Day Care Centres and Home Care Support Workers!
• Psst – there's £3million of BBC Philharmonic Orchestra money they could use to help save everything else.
See previous Salford Star article on the Mayor election – click here
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Zooty Zoot wrote
at 20:57:27 on 01 February 2012 |
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| We need Dennis Skinner .He is sick of the Wasteminster Cesspit , and would welcome the change of air . |
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Dave hates politicians wrote
at 12:03:07 on 01 February 2012 |
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| You get my vote too , Steve . And I HATE politicians . The vast majority . |
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Nachtschlepper wrote
at 12:41:54 on 31 January 2012 |
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| Brian, I'll second that. Come on Stephen, your city needs you. |
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Salford Star wrote
at 06:00:37 on 31 January 2012 |
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| See Brian's comment below...Ha, ha, ha...lol, lol, lol... |
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BRIAN BENHAM wrote
at 05:58:00 on 31 January 2012 |
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| STEPHEN KINGSTON FOR MAYOR...YES REALLY, HE HAS WORKED FOR YEARS FOR THE PEOPLE OF SALFORD |
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Zooty Zoot wrote
at 21:35:56 on 29 January 2012 |
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| Whoever we elect had better slash the extortionate rip-off clowncil tax in this corrupt, rotton , dead , hopeless , jobless , living hell city . |
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Stephen morris wrote
at 21:34:59 on 29 January 2012 |
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| Many figures the "YES" campaign used were found in the same way the Salford Star found them,they know as much as we did the waste that was being spent on crazy and ill thought out glory projects by Salford Council rather than on front line services. We were consistantly being told by Merry that Salford is listed as a deprived area, whilst he cut services in all areas, paying the highest council tax out of the 6 neighbouring councils (higher than national average) crime stats also well above the national average,however he continued to fund pet projects, funding Peel Holdings and BBC programmes/philarmonic. Salford could not continue any longer down the path Merry was taking the City. Something had to change. |
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mary ferrer wrote
at 05:04:17 on 29 January 2012 |
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| NP, nice idea but I hope the people of Salford think long and hard when it comes to voting for the Mayor in May. We need a person who can run this city for the people of this city.The people who called this in the first place are off with the bloody fairy's. We have no money now,how can they say they would cut the council tax. How or where would we get the money to pay for all the services we need. We need someone who won't get loans of millions to build stadiums,won't give money to people like Peel.Give loans worth millions,hold events that run year after year at a loss. Employ consultants when we are paying staff who should be up fot the job. Over the years Labour have been allowed to do what they want and get away with it. Back in 2000 we were up the creek without a paddle and they did not learn, they carried on SPEND SPEND.LOAN LOAN and now we have little in the pot but we do have lots of DEPT. This person will have to have a very,very good business head and have the bottle to stand up to this council. Don't know who would fit that bill. But I just hope now we have the chance to maybe make a differance in Salford, we don't blow it by voting in a fool or worst still Merry or one of his merry gang. I hope the list of candidates has someone we can trust with a very hard task. |
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Beam me up , Scotty wrote
at 04:59:26 on 29 January 2012 |
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| Whatever self-serving POLITICIAN BULLSHITTER scum is elected ,THEY BETTER LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE OF SALFORD . |
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NP for mayor? wrote
at 20:12:54 on 28 January 2012 |
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| How about ex actor, Salford lad and sometime Salford star journalist Nigel Pivaro for mayor? Comes from a working class background, willing to open his mouth about things and thinks this lot in charge are a load of W**K*RS. I,d much rather him get his nose in the trough (smaller portions obviously) than the likes of Blears,Spicer and co.
Come on Nigel! |
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You Talking To Me ? wrote
at 20:11:47 on 28 January 2012 |
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| GREAT NEWS FOR SALFORD . MERRY AND SPICER HAVE BEEN OFFERED ALTERNATIVE WORK . TRAINEES AT POUNDLAND . WITH THEIR BUSINESS ACUMEN AND ABILITY , POUNDLAND WILL BE CLOSED IN 3 MONTHS TIME . |
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RayhB wrote
at 05:37:51 on 28 January 2012 |
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| An Elected Mayor for Salford represents a regression to a pre-democratic era where local people were dependant on the "good offices" of the Squirearchy.
The problem with direct democracy, of which an Elected Mayor is a variant, is that the electorate is atomised into isolated individuals thereby allowing elected officials to whatever they desire! |
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Council worker wrote
at 20:50:06 on 27 January 2012 |
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| Great news for Salford! Spicer costs a fortune as do her overpaid and under worked cronies Marsh and Brady. Merry and his muppets fell for their spin! Thats aside from our Leader Merry and all his cronies who are 'waged' councillors, who get expenses on top being paid for attending committees and destroying our city. Its well known amongst my colleagues that Salford is now run by Manchester. Perhaps a Mayor will sort this mess out. The feudal baron Peel holdings may also stop getting a slice of our money. The BBC Salford (Bugger Bloody Citizens of Salford) will no longer get back handers for a crap orchestra.
Goodbye Scary Spicer - the future is bright without orange! |
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Salfordken wrote
at 20:49:53 on 27 January 2012 |
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| The Yes vote was inevitable last night.The low poll was because the party against,know at the stats about the city, but did not use them to put a No vote case. Others, who have never had a chance to vote for something they might win in Salford, came out and voted Yes, on the basis that a change can only be for the good of all Salfordians |
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Bogbrush wrote
at 20:49:32 on 27 January 2012 |
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| Ask the citizens of Leicester how their elected Mayor has delivered the goods yet?
100 pledges in 100 days - yet he has a bevy of six deputies all former Labour councillors who did sweet FA in the first place!
Am still waiting for his email response to a question of how the council squandered £10m (paying outside agencies) for single status/job evaluation/administrative and business review.
C'mon Salford elect Christopher Eccleston as your mayor and do yerself proud!
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Flapjack Charlie wrote
at 20:49:07 on 27 January 2012 |
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| As the mayor will be responsible for the running of this dead city , we wont need Spicer , saving us ripped-off taxpayers over £200K. Pay the mayor £100K, use the other £100K TO KEEP THE DAYCARE CENTRES OPEN . If this is not enough , get rid of a few more executive bullshitters .Problem solved . |
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You Talking To Me ? wrote
at 20:48:34 on 27 January 2012 |
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| I expect the mayor to immediately slash the obscenity of the exorbitant council tax extortion in this dreadful , hopeless , jobless , futureless hell city , as promised . |
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Mary Ferrer wrote
at 17:42:37 on 27 January 2012 |
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| Do we have a job spec or can any fool apply. If thats the case nothing changes. |
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Anton Karidian wrote
at 17:42:32 on 27 January 2012 |
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| Just another big-business brown-nosing ,corporate poodle-politician ,self-serving waste of air , like the rest . More of the same , for this betrayed , shafted , shat-on city. Spend a few years spouting garbage ,lies , and falsehoods , leave with pockets and bank accounts full of money . Nothing changes in this corrupt , rotton , dead country . All politicians are scum . |
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Winston Smith wrote
at 14:48:10 on 27 January 2012 |
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| Chris - a monkey would be preferable, seriously. Like politicians, they throw poo at each other and don't understand money. Unlike politicians, if they sign anything stupid it wouldn't be legally binding. |
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Gareth L wrote
at 14:48:02 on 27 January 2012 |
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| With the news that John Merry will stand to be selected for Mayor, despite him saying it was a waste of money,its not needed and being against it etc. Shows to me total hypocrisy and provides me with further evidence that our elected representatives represent themselves and their own interests.
If you don't believe in the position you should not stand for it.
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More of the Same wrote
at 14:47:34 on 27 January 2012 |
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| Might as well just elect a dogturd with a hat on . |
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Chris wrote
at 13:55:52 on 27 January 2012 |
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| This will be the biggest waste of money ever!. We will now have another layer of politician totally unnecessary don't forget Hartlepool elected a football mascot Angus the monkey does this mean Nitro Salford Reds mascot is front runner!?. |
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Winston Smith wrote
at 13:55:20 on 27 January 2012 |
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| It's the irony that gets me - the 'anti-labour' people are working sooo hard to get another labour councillor elected, only in the shape of a mayor who will, in turn, bolster the Labour group and make it even harder to get some power back in the hands of the electorate. Or is that the actual idea?! |
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Pete wrote
at 11:55:39 on 27 January 2012 |
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| The winner will be the one backed by Peel Holdings. |
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Nachtschlepper wrote
at 11:55:34 on 27 January 2012 |
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| Just wondering what kind of self serving, money grabbing, egomaniac we will get. |
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You Talking To Me ? wrote
at 11:55:08 on 27 January 2012 |
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| Now we need to carefully select a mayor who will slash the obscenely extortionate council tax in this rotton , dead city . Start by getting rid of Spicer , saving £ 200,000 K at a stroke . An orang-u-tan will do as a token chief executive , and will be quite at home in the Town Hall Zoo . |
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Amanda Bickerton wrote
at 11:54:59 on 27 January 2012 |
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| Now we know that we are going down the mayoral route, perhaps it is time to have a rethink about how the city is governed. We need to have governance for the majority of the city's population with an independent-minded leader who is rooted in the city with an understanding of and commitment to the city as a whole, and particularly to the more deprived areas, who will allocate resources to services which benefit the people of the city, not just 'flagship' projects which only benefit the already privileged few. Or will we get more of the same, just with a different brand identity because people cannot be bothered to turn out and vote...because they don't think it is worth it because politicians are all the same and they have no faith in the current system. Perhaps it is time for a popular revolution - local independent candidates in every ward, offering an alternative to party politics in local government. That would make Salford a city to be proud of...
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Winston Smith wrote
at 11:54:50 on 27 January 2012 |
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| Melvyn - not a chance. An elected mayor won't represent the people or be politically neutral any more than councillors are now. E.g. if a 'Labour' Mayor stands, a Labour Mayor will get in and simply toe the party line. If independents ever stood any sort of fair chance against mainstream parties and their resources, there would be a lot more independent councillors and MPs already. |
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Paul Gerrard wrote
at 11:54:36 on 27 January 2012 |
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| Having an elected mayor will not change a thing unless this council stands up to the Tories, and UNISON were right to say that an extra layer of government would be wasteful and undemocratic. As the Star points out the loony-tunes behind the 'yes' campaign want even bigger cuts in services (yes, they say 'front-line services will be protected' but I wouldn't trust them to know what a front-line service is if it bit them, and we've heard it all before from Cameron).
Despite the small turn-out this is a verdict on Salford's record - service cuts and house clearances destroying communities, while sucking up to big business. Time for a U-turn!! |
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Andy Pandy wrote
at 11:54:26 on 27 January 2012 |
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| This is surely a wake-up call, not only for the apparently self serving members of our permanent ruling Labour Council but also for those who vote for them year after year because they always have done, because their parents did or because neither of the other larger parties in Salford appear exist in any real and meaningful way.
The people of Salford have made it clear by either voting or not voting yesterday that they dont really care (81.9%) or that they do care (18.1%). Either way its time for a change. |
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John wrote
at 11:54:04 on 27 January 2012 |
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| I would not bet on it Melvyn
Labour will not give up this post easily.
It will be more of the same methinks |
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Melvyn Higson wrote
at 09:20:28 on 27 January 2012 |
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| Lets hope that Salford gets someone in charge who cares passionately about the City, which has sadly been missing in recent years. So many great establishments have disappeared without a fight from the council. The latest being the Magistrates' Court despite 1% of all the crime in the country happening in Salford. |
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